Athena Ware Hernandez

About Athena Ware Hernandez

Everybody loves a great story. But what about the storyteller? One of my earliest memories in school is a persistent phrase that appeared on my report cards without fail: “Athena is very talkative.” While some perceived it as a negative, on my first day of work in public relations as a spokesperson, my mother uncovered one of those report cards and circled “talkative” as a reminder that how I communicated was a talent worthy of compensation. Throughout my life, I have embraced and nurtured the art of the story. At times, I am part of the story, merely an observer of the story, or am crafting a fictional story. But as a professional communicator, I tell the story. And that has taught me that people engage with organizations they feel connected to, often through stories. With more than a decade of experience as an executive communicator, I have delivered the stories of some of my region’s and our country’s most memorable moments, including:~Helping shape the story of Maryland’s first elected African American governor and Indian American lieutenant governor.~Orchestrating media coverage at Dulles Airport for the returning Washington Capitals after winning the Stanley Cup.~Securing national coverage of the then-largest Mega Millions jackpot on CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.~At the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, managing media relations and placing the first front page human-interest story of the reunification of more than children separated from their families in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.~In Maryland’s second largest school district, crafting and leading communications for the state’s first full-day kindergarten initiative, and managing the crisis communications response during 9/11 and the DC sniper crisis where the one child victim was in our school district.~And serving as press secretary for the first African American sheriff elected in Prince George’s County. By embracing my instinct to tell stories, I have developed a passion for not only being the purveyor of the story, but also identifying the best channels and being intentional about crafting a tailored narrative for distinct audiences. Whether through media relations, crisis communications, marketing, thought leadership, digital communications, reputation management, or stakeholder engagement, my objective as an executive communicator remains the same. Tell the story authentically with an intentional focus on messaging, channels, and audiences. And sometimes, I even get to be a part of history.

Experience

1. Director, Marketing and Communications

   Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

   Apr 2023 — Present · Washington, DC, US

Education

• Vermont College of Fine Arts

  Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Writing for Children and Young Adults

  2014 — 2016

• University of Maryland Eastern Shore

  BA, English/Communications

  1986 — 1990

• University of Maryland Eastern Shore

  Bachelor's degree, English Language and Literature, General